Epidemiological analysis of community and Aged Care Health data (EACH)
As the world becomes increasingly connected and electronic, ‘big data’ sources are regularly identified, providing opportunities to analyse patterns and trends, providing insights into issues that were once difficult to understand. The electronic health record is one of these new data sources. Over recent years, many different health services have shifted to electronic records and Bolton Clarke’s Home and Community Support was ahead of the curve. There is currently a wealth of knowledge that has been gathered for more than a decade by our home visiting nurses, which the Research Institute has begun to analyse.
This unique and rich data set currently covers the years 2006 to 2016. These data provide us with a new opportunity to collaborate with Home and Community Support team members on projects to further understanding of our clients and drill down on important issues that affect how we provide care to them. Data are provided to the researchers in a deidentified format for analysis. We are currently in the process of gaining access to the electronic data from Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living, to help expand the questions we can answer about older people and ageing in Australia.
This project is undertaken with ethical approval from the Bolton Clarke Human Research Ethics Committee (Projects 168 and 217).
Project that have been completed so far include:
- Older Women Living Alone
- Profiling mental health in community nursing
- Pathways through home care for people with dementia
- Profiling falls in people with diabetes
- Understanding older veterans in the community
